Sounds like excellent house rules! If I can ever get my 1.1 to start again, I'll try adopting them!

Jtareb, you're exactly right on Caesar and the Gallic tribes - hard to exercise much autonomy with 10 Roman legions in your backyard; ask the Veneti - who had the audacity to revolt in 56BC, and as thanks got their entire ruling council - several hundred people - beheaded, and the rest of the tribe sold into slavery!

One thing that happened a lot historically that we aren't able to really recreate in the gaming environment is the taking/exchange of hostages; maybe that could be added into the Diplomacy for 2.0 somehow?